Like usual “youtube” shut down the video… i recently found the original file on one of my external hard drives, so I re uploaded it to viddler.com this time.

Here is the link for the original article:

http://www.wrixel.com/2008/03/appleseed-ex-machina-review/

What do you think?  Should I keep making video mashups?

I recently bought Valkyria Chronicles at gamestop for $30.  Its an amazing deal and I highly recommend picking up a copy. I can easily say that this game is THE BEST strategy/RPG on the PS3.

I love the story and found the anime cut scenes to be amazing.  Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more of this awesome game I found out that the first episode of the animated series is available on the Japanese PSN.  It is available in 2 formats  HD (400 yen) and SD (300 yen).  If you own a PS3 you already have a nice tv so might as well get the HD version.

Or if you are a cheap Internet Pirate!  Damn those Pirates are crazy, they are all over CNN!!  OK i digress…

If you are famaliar with Bittorrent you can download all the episodes here:

http://www.mininova.org/search/valkyria/seeds

wriXeL does not promote piracy…. i aint saying, I’m just saying…

Although the game didn’t do as well financially I still believe is a gem that got overlooked by the masses.

Here is a link to the official japanese site:

http://www.valkyria-anime.com/

Wiki defines a sniper as:

“A sniper is an individual, usually a soldier or law enforcement agent, who specializes in shooting targets with high-precision rifles from very long distances, usually from a concealed location. Most are skilled in carrying out stealth and camouflage tactics on a battlefield zone. Military snipers are also adept at carrying out methods of infiltration, reconnaissance, and observation techniques.”

I’m going to loosely use this definition for my top ten list. After going through a whole bunch of animes I narrowed it down to my list to 5 snipers. This list was pretty fun to make and I hope you enjoy reading it.

#5 on our list is:

Vash the Stampede

Vash comes from an anime called “Trigun”, which aired in the late 90s. Now I know Vash isn’t your typical “sniper”, but I feel that because his accuracy with his revolver allows him to be placed on this list. The story behind Vash is actually long and confusing so I’ll just sum it up quickly: Vash is an alien life form on a quest to save humans from his evil brother. Now the anime doesn’t really explain why he is so skilled with firearms but then again does it really matter? Regardless, Vash is a force to be reckoned with.

Here is the intro to the Anime series…. Ahh this brings me back.

#4 on our list is:

Uryū Ishida

You might recognize this character from the ever so popular “Bleach” anime. I hate referencing Bleach and Naruto because of all the insane fan boys out there, but in this situation Mr. Ishida deservers all the fame.

In the “Bleach” storyline, UryÅ« Ishida is part of a line of a warrior monks called “Quincy”. The “Quincy” are a clan of humans who, over many centuries, became spiritually aware. In doing so they devised their own brand of spiritual powers; they can absorb spiritual energy and then manipulate for offensive purposes. They most commonly reshape spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows, but can also concentrate spiritual energy into the form of swords or explosives. UryÅ« Ishida himself uses his spiritual powers to manifest bow & arrows, which he uses to sniper evil spirits.

#3 on our list is:

Yoko Littner

Yoko Littner is from the Anime called Gurren Lagann. Yoko is a girl from Jeeha’s neighboring village of Ritona. She wields an extensive range of firearms, most frequently of which is a long range sniper rifle modeled after the Barrett M82. She uses her marksmanship from afar to assist the other characters in the show. I’m too lazy to get into her full story but if you want to learn more, here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tengen_Toppa_Gurren_Lagann_primary_characters

Now why is she on the Top Snipers list? She kicks ass, uses a sniper rifle, and is extremely hot. If you can find a better anime sniper, let me know.

(WARNING THIS VIDEO HAS LOTS OF BOUNCING BOOBS AND FANSERVICE)

#2 on our list is:

Lockon Stratos

“Lockon Stratos will SNIPE THEM!” Sorry small anime reference there.

Lockon Stratos is the call sign of the sniper in the anime series Gundam 00. At a young age, Lockon witnessed the death of family at the hands of terrorist. Since the attack he has carried a deep resentment towards terrorists ever since. This resentment pushes him to join an anti-terrorist group called “Celestial Being”, allowing him to pursue justice against evil-doers.

Lockon is #2 on this list because he can snipe moving targets while piloting a huge Robotic war machine. Now I know this is all fictional but that definitely sounds a little difficult. As the sharpshooter for the Gundam Meisters, Lockon proved his value in combat against overwhelming odds several times.

Check out Lockon in action:

Finally the

#1 Sniper on our list…

SAITO

Saito comes from the Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. anime. Saito is an elite soldier in an government anti-terrorist group known as Section 9. He can handle any automatic firearm with deadly accuracy and precision, but his primary role is as the unit’s tactical sniper. His left eye was replaced with the “Hawkeye”, a prosthetic eye that interfaces with satellites to allow for shots of incredible accuracy. He is also valued for his ability to think like enemy snipers; on two separate occasions his ability at determining sniping locations impacted Section 9′s actions.

See why Saito is #1:

I hope you enjoy the list! If you have any comments or questions feel free to ask! Think you know a better sniper? Try us! Want to call us noobs? Bring it! Until next week!

Stay tuned for small updates throughout the week.

It’s really hard to make a “TOP” List of any kind. There are numerous factors to consider and everyone has varying opinions. Rating and comparing Anime is like comparing apples to oranges. How do compare a cult classic like Cowboy Bebop to another epic such as Princess Mononoke? You can’t… or at least I cant. Instead of attempting a ridiculous ranking system, here is wriXeL’s list of completely unranked, TOP 25 Animes.

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST

Right from the start of the series Full Metal Alchemist (FMA) grabs you and doesn’t let go. FMA takes place in a world where “alchemists” can use their powers to change physical objects into a different form. For example you could change a tree into a wooden sword as long as it retains it basic composition. Sounds kinda stupid but once you watch a few episodes you’ll wish you could “transmute” things in real life. The story follows two brothers, Ed and Al Elric, as they try to restore their bodies after a transmutation accident. The story evolves into something much deeper and within a few episodes you’ll get hooked! In a perfect mix of humor, adventure and action FMA is a classic that every anime fan should watch.

Here is a sample of what the show is like:

MACROSS PLUS

How do I even begin with Macross Plus… Let’s just say this list was delayed because I start watching the series and I couldn’t turn it off. Macross Plus can best be described as an Anime version of TOP GUN, with Mech-robot jets, love triangles and awesome visual effects. The story evolves around Isamu and Guld, former best friends, who are now forced to work together to test a prototype jetfighter for the military. During this testing they are reunited with Myung, the childhood friend responsible for the rift between them. Myung is the producer of the next hottest pop star and still the object of affection for both protagonists. An amazing story, visuals and music, Macross Plus is a MUST watch. It was produced by industry legends such as, Shoji Kawamori (Original Macross), Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop), and Yoko Kanno (Musical Genius). This trailer does not do the show any justice but still it’s a good preview.

COWBOY BEBOP

I could write a page about why this anime is so awesome but that would be a waste of your time. So here it is in a quick bullet point format:

- Incredible Story (Bounty Hunters in a cool futuristic setting)

- Awesome Characters and Pets (Ein!)

- Yoko Kanno (MUSICAL GENIUS)

- Slick Animation

Ok I just realized that this is a horrible summary of Cowboy Bebop. Seriously, just watch a few episodes and you’ll see why it’s so good. Its been on cartoon network for 4 years, how BAD could it be?

BERSERK

Anime and “Badass” are two words that don’t really go together but Berserk is an exception to that rule. Berserk is a medieval fantasy anime focusing on a warrior named Guts. Guts is a badass mercenary who gets recruited by an ambitious man known as Griffith, the leader of the Band of Hawks. Griffith strives to bring his group to the highest ranks of the military. As they become increasingly famous and powerful things quickly turn for the worse. Friends die, demons start kicking ass, and feelings get hurt. QQ

BTW I forgot to mention that anime is really graphic and its not uncommon for people’s disemboweled limbs fly all over the place.

Berserk was a dark fierce tale of war, hate and betray. Magic is mysterious and you can only trust the sword in front of you.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

I’m not gonna lie…. I usually download most of my anime. This movie is one of the VERY RARE occasions where I have actually purchased anime. Why would I buy such a movie? I loved the original Vampire Hunter D, even though I thought the animation was a little dated. BLOODLUST, which is the 2^nd animated movie, promised the same amazing storyline with slick and truly ingenious animation. Vampire Hunter D follows a half human- half vampire as he hunts down and kills monsters, vile creatures and other vampires. Unlike its predecessors, Bloodlust didn’t have a clear cut evil character. The vampire in this film shows compassion and humanity and its hard to take sides. Being a half breed “D” faces all sorts of discrimination and its interesting to see how it all playhs out. If you like any of the “BLADE” movies you will love: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

Stay Tuned! The list is far from over! Coming up in Part 2: Code Geass, Death Note, Eureka 7, FLCL, and Last Exile

The movie has a “Hayao Miyazaki” feel (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away). Its light hearted, entertaining and the animation is excellent. It kinda reminds me of the “Butterfly Effect” minus Ashton Kutcher and the craziness. o.O !!

wriXeL gives “THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME” a 8.17 out of 10. You should definitely watch this movie!

Here is a sample trailer that the wriXeL crew has made:

BTW the film will premiere domestically at the 2008 NY COMIC CON. If you are attending the convention I highly recommend watching this film.

Gundam 00 takes place in the year 2307. At this time 3 nations, the Union, the Human Reformist Alliance and the AEU, are in control of an orbital elevator that provides solar energy. Although these countries enjoy the benefits of solar energy the rest of the world’s nations do not reap the same benefits. This unequal distribution of wealth/energy causes war and conflict throughout the world. Amidst the seemingly endless conflict a new mysterious military organization known as Celestial Being appears. This organization warns the world that they will end all warfare by using advanced technological suits called Gundam. These Gundam are extremely powerful and intervene on all military actions with deadly force. Celestial Being positions itself as the world police and the series focuses on the conflicts between the 3 super nations, Celestial Being, and other factions.

Gundam fans will not be disappointed with this reiteration of the Gundam vision. It’s similar to Seed, and Waltz but still manages to be fresh. The animation is good but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.

Here is a wrixel music video, featuring “Linkin Park – No Roads”

Here is a per episode review chart.

In conclusion Gundam00 attempts to be greater than its predecessors but fails. The show positions itself as a political, thought-provoking Anime but leaves you with unimaginative characters and redundant action sequences. The show has one or two characters that ARE interesting but fails at highlighting them. It rehashes political themes that have been in other Animes for the past 10 years. Despite these flaws Gundam 00 is still entertaining. I somehow never get tired of watching giant robots fight it out with lasers shooting everywhere. The animation is slight above par and the audio is good. The season features nice OP/ED songs featuring, L’Arc~en~Ciel. Season 1 sets up a great stage for Season 2 which is coming out after Code Geass Season 2.

As a series Gundam 00 just gains a wriXeL endorsement. The show is not for everyone but if you are into mechs you won’t be disappointed. We give Gundam00 a 77.52 out of 100.

Appleseed Ex Machina is a unique Anime movie featuring high tech CG graphics.  The film was produced by John Woo and directed by Shinji Aramaki.  John Woo heavily influenced this movie with his over the top martial-arts combat, gun-usage and aerial stunts.  Shinji Aramaki is best known for his futuristic visions on exoskeletons, mecha and CG design.  His work in AS: Ex Machina is truly remarkable.  With these two all-stars on the project the end result is top-notch actions sequences and beautiful CG designs.  I saw the film on blu-ray and I have to say that I was blown away by how good the movie looks and sounds.

This movie is the 2^nd part of a trilogy.  The story focuses on Deunan & Briareos, 2 “ESWAT” soldiers who protect the city of Olympus.  The movie follows a typical “Save the world” scenario with a couple plots twists throw in for good measure. The story is probably the weakest part of this movie but in the grand scheme of things, the story is the last thing you’ll be thinking about ^^

In conclusion:

If you haven’t noticed yet, I really like this movie. Appleseed Ex Machina is an Anime action-junkies ultimate fix. There is never a dull moment and the visuals will leave you breathless.

wriXeL gives Appleseed Ex Machina its highest score so far with an 8.2 out of 10

As usual I made a video. ^^ This video features clips from the movie complemented by music by Crystal Method.

I hope you like it!

At first we were reluctant to start D.GM because we were so far behind (I hate catching up in anime). However due to its rave reviews and the fact that it’s still popular after 143 mangas / 64 anime episodes, we decided to give it a try. We are currently on different episodes but I’ve watched about 21 episodes of the Anime and from what I’ve seen so far, I think the show is GREAT!

I really like it. It’s not legendary but it’s pretty entertaining.

I’ll try to summarize the plot it simple bullet points:

· New kid on the block named, Allen Walker (girly looking guy above)joins this badass group of people called the Black Order

· Black Order consists of Exorcists who have special powers and kill demons throughout the world.

· Demons are made by this Fat Ass Clown Named the Millennium Earl, who I find to look hilarious @ times ^^;

· Exorcists get their powers from things called, “Innocence”. Fragments of a stone or something…they go around the world looking for new people to join their gang.

· The Millennium Earl has special family members who has crazy powers as well… they are the evil equivalents to the Exorcists.

Bottom line:

Exorcists vs Demons = Good Times. The show features interesting characters and typical witty Japanese dialogue. The animation is your typical “TV Tokyo” quality but it doesn’t disappoint. Although we had varying reviews, the overall wriXeL review is 8.11 / 10.00.

Disclaimer: We are not up to date with the show so our review is subject to change.

Here is the Opening Intro to the Anime Season… ah good ol J-POP. Enjoy!!

If you are interested in starting the anime, I suggest getting the whole first season from:

1. Boxtorrents

2. MiniNova

Links are to the left!! You need Bittorrent to download these…if you don’t know what BT is… send me an email.

PS. If you are far in the Anime DON’T RUIN IT for us. KK THX BYE.

The Gundam series is known for its over top Mechs battles coupled with riveting stories. The series is kinda like “Final Fantasy” in the sense that they constantly create new stories under the same “GUNDAM” theme.

I don’t want to spoil the first episode but the basic premise looks like its super powered GUNDAMs vs the rest of the world. A special military organization called “Celestial Being” has created DIESAL robots called, “Gundam”. Celestial Being” is trying to achieve world peace by destroying anyone who wants to fight. They utilize Gundams to eradicate war by using extreme force. This is a huge oxymoron and it doesn’t really make sense to me.  How would waging war on everyone create peace? Regardless the battle sequence in Episode 1 was splendid. If you are looking for stylish Mech action then look no further.

Although the first episode was aesthetically pleasing it didn’t really pique my interest.  I am always turned off by the political undertones of the GUNDAM series. This particular season doesn’t seem to stray much from it time tested formula. If you haven’t watched “Code Geass” I would highly recommend watching that instead.  If fact I think I’ll watch Code Geass again before I continue with Gundam 00. Keep in mind these are my initial thoughts after viewing EPISODE 1 and the series will probably get a lot better as the story and characters develop.

In summary, Gundam 00 doesn’t warrant a wriXeL endorsement. The series might pick up later on but until then you won’t see me running home to download the next episode.  I plan on writing another review after the series ends. Hopefully the series will get better.

On a side note what does everyone watch these days?? Is it just me or is Anime sucking a lot these days?

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